Detroit — The Detroit Pistons trailed the Orlando Magic 96-90 with 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter when Cade Cunningham was fouled by Desmond Bane during his lay-up attempt.
Cunningham went to the free-throw line and successfully made both shots, narrowing the Pistons’ deficit to four points (96-92) as fans inside Little Caesars Arena chanted “MVP.”
Initially, it appeared that the Pistons were ready to make a late-game rally. However, on Orlando’s next possession, Tristan Da Silva (seven points) made a 3-point shot, which silenced the crowd. It illustrated how the Pistons suffered a 112-101 Game 1 loss to the Magic on Sunday in the best-of-seven series.
BOX SCORE: Magic 112, Pistons 101, Game 1
“I think we came out a little tight,” Cunningham said. “We did not come out with the right energy. We gave them life early on, and then, we had to deal with that for the rest of the game. We cannot dig a hole like that.”
Cunningham and Tobias Harris were the only two players who provided consistent offense for the Pistons. Cunningham led the way with 39 points on 13-of-27 shooting, to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Harris added 17 points on 5-of-15 shooting, 1 of 7 from deep.
They were the only two players who scored in double figures. As a whole, Detroit finished the night shooting 31 of 77 from the field (40.3%), 10 of 32 (31.3%) from behind the arc.
“There were times in the game where we got stagnant. I feel like that happened to us because we got down early. Then it felt like there was so much weight, and so much pressure on each possession,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Then, we got to a point where we were just trying to do it all and help hit a home run every time. Again, I thought there were moments where we found what we needed to do and we just need to replicate that more often.”
The Pistons seemed disconnected throughout the night. Communication on the offensive end was lacking, and they allowed several wide-open shots on the defensive end. Detroit was two steps behind Orlando for the entire night, which could have been due to the contrasting situations of the two teams.
One team had not played since its season finale a week ago, while the other was energized from a crucial do-or-die contest just 48 hours earlier during the NBA Play-In Tournament. Although the Pistons had competitive practices over the previous four days, they struggled to match the intensity of in-game action, particularly during the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Magic took an early lead against the Pistons, going up by 13 points, thanks in part to Jalen Suggs (16 points), who began the game by shooting 3 of 4 from the field and scoring eight early points. However, the Pistons managed to bounce back with the help of their bench, narrowing the double-digit deficit to 55-51 by halftime. However, each time the Pistons closed the gap, the Magic found a way to respond and stifle their momentum.
“They’ve been off. We found a little bit of rhythm playing so many games, so that always plays a part in it. But I’m still just happy that our guys came out and defended the right way,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “We were intentional in how we executed our offense. I think those are the things that we talked about being able to do against a great team like this. How they turn you over, how they defend, how they rebound the basketball — all those small things within the game. I was happy that we accomplished that with this group.”
The biggest momentum shift came after Cunningham scored on a 3-point field goal at the 7:45 mark of the third period. His basket brought Detroit within two points (67-65), but the Magic responded by going on a 12-3 run. All five starters scored in double figures for the Magic, with Paolo Banchero leading the way with 23 points and nine rebounds. Franz Wagner (Michigan) added 19 points, while Bane contributed with 17.
The Magic beat the Pistons in nearly every statistical category, out-rebounding them 45-39 and dominating from the inside 54-34. The Magic excelled at sharing the ball, recording 26 assists compared to the Pistons’ 19.
“I thought we were a little rusty to start. Coming out, giving up a 35-point quarter; that’s not typical for us. It felt like we were just chasing them all night,” Bickerstaff said. “We made some runs to get ourselves back in the ball game. Defensively, I didn’t think we were our best. Critical errors, mistakes that they made us pay for. Getting back used to playing at NBA speed, I think got a little bit.”
Observations and notes
A bad night for Duren: Besides Harris and Cunningham, several players struggled to contribute consistently, but none did so more than Jalen Duren. He had what could be considered his worst performance of the season, finishing with only eight points on four field goal attempts. After the game, Bickerstaff noted that the Magic’s physical play made it challenging for Duren to find his usual rhythm.
It took a while for Cade to find a rhythm: Cunningham mentioned that he wasn’t fully recovered and was still working on regaining his stamina after missing 11 games due to a collapsed lung. Although he has played in three games since his return, two of those games were against teams that were not very competitive.
During the first half, it was clear Cunningham was still trying to work his way back. He began the night shooting 4 of 10 from the field with three turnovers.
“There was a stint towards the end (of the game) that I was a little tired,” Cunningham said. “I came out for a minute or two, coach got me a break, and then after that, I felt good to finish the game. So, I feel great. Excited for the next.”
Playoffs home losing streak continues: With this loss, the Pistons’ home losing streak in the postseason increased to 11 games. Their last home win in the postseason came in Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals on May 26.
NBA Playoffs, first round: No. 8 Magic vs. No. 1 Pistons
Orlando leads series, 1-0
Game 1: Magic 112, Pistons 101
Game 2: at Detroit, Wednesday, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 3: at Orlando, Saturday, 1 p.m. (Peacock)
Game 4: at Orlando, Monday, April 27, TBD (TBD)
x-Game 5: at Detroit, Wednesday, April 29, TBD (TBD)
x-Game 6: at Orlando, Friday, May 1, TBD (TBD)
x-Game 7: at Detroit, Sunday, May 3 TBD (TBD)x-If necessary
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Slow start costs Detroit Pistons in Game 1 loss to Orlando Magic
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
